Reporting

In December 2013, the NYPD ordered its 77 precinct commanders to route reporters’ requests for crime reports through the agency’s press office, rather than release these documents directly. So where’s the order itself?

A Massachusetts law permitting municipalities to obtain information about gas leaks in their jurisdiction — including the location and severity of such leaks — has been utilized by only one town since it went into effect: Boston.

A report released this morning by the Justice Department’s inspector general highlighted “significant challenges” facing the FBI’s drone program. In particular, the report pointed to the skeleton crew of just two pilots authorized to fly FBI drones, both of whom are based out of the same office.

In 2005, the average fire in Lawrence, Massachusetts caused $8,835 in property damage - just slightly above the state average of $7,706. Only 3 years later, that number jumped to $18,936. What happened?

This Sunshine Week, we've seen agencies go to great lengths to prevent disclosure of domestic drone programs and plots to read your mail. But as these Amtrak complaints show, government cover-ups aren't always a matter of life and death. Unless you ordered the tuna salad. Then you should seek immediate medical attention.

Massachusetts entered its long thaw just in time for the 10th annual Sunshine Week, when the the national focus turns to the public’s access to its government. Amid the open dialogue about just how that whole “democracy for the people” thing is working so out far, at least one thing is perfectly clear: things could be better in the Bay State.